I don't think we're in Nerima anymore
by Nihil Asara
Summary: Ranma Claymore crossover. Ranma and Ryoga accidently knock themselves into the world of Claymore. Trapped without a way to get back home, will their interference prove the salvation or destruction of their new world?
1. Chapter 1

Well. Welcome to chapter 1. For the record, this is a Ranma 1/2 and Claymore crossover, to whom the majority of the main characters and world used in this fanfiction belong. I can't guarantee that this will be 100% canon, but I'll do my best. The largest alteration I currently intend is simply to slightly up the seriousness of Ryoga and Ranma to fit the darker atmosphere of the world of Claymore. Let's see... what else... Rating will be set to Mature unless someone persuades me otherwise, but I expect that 95% or more of the upcoming chapters will have nothing higher than T-rating material. Now let's get to the story!

Chapter 1: A Hard Landing

"Ranma!" shouted Ryoga. "How could you disrespect Akane like this."

Ranma sighed. An uncharacteristic lethargy had overcome him of late. Maybe this was what it felt like to finally grow up. "Don't you ever get tired of this charade, Ryoga?"

"What?" The weighted umbrella paused halfway through its downwards swing. Ryoga Hibiki's battle aura churned as he squinted, expecting some new trick from his long-time rival.

"Every time you manage to find your way back here you fill yourself with fury over some injustice I've done Akane, real or imagined, only to grudgingly realize that either no real harm was ever done or the root cause was someone else."

"But-" Ranma held up his hand slowly but firmly. The strangely calm behavior threw Ryoga off balance even further. "But nothing," said Ranma. "In all the years you've known me can you recall me ever hurting someone intentionally? It's an odd statement for a martial artist to make, I know, but I think you understand what I mean by it. O, I'll admit that I've been naive at times and allowed things to pass that shouldn't have, but I've also helped Akane and many others who were in need. For that matter, I've even kept your secret from Akane, P-chan, though I wonder at times whether that's truly the honorable thing to do. So tell me P-chan, do you really want to continue this fight?

He already knew what was coming. Ryoga's battle aura exploded outwards. Ranma could see the currents of ki traveling within his opponents arms, empowering Ryoga's already powerful strike to monstrous proportions. Oddly, Ranma still couldn't summon the urge to really care. He wondered if Cologne had drugged him again as part of some plot to drag him off to China to marry Shampoo. He didn't even feel depressed exactly, just drained. Using ki attacks versus Ryoga while in this state would be futile, and chi blasts unpowered by emotion would be worse than useless. As Ryoga continued to shout incoherent accusations Ranma began to almost lazily start the Hiryu Shoten Ha. Dodging with the absolute minimum force required Ranma's footsteps slowly drew a spiral in the dirt even as Ryoga's strikes snapped trees and park benches like toothpicks. "Hir..." Ranma gave the final uppercut without the traditional shout. 'It's not as if Ryoga doesn't already know its name and I don't really need it to focus the technique anymore.'

There was just enough time to realize that something was drastically wrong. The wind was unnoticeable for a moment. Hibiki laughed at the feeble uppercut and grabbed Ranma's shirt, lifting him into the air. Had he walked too slowly after all? He hadn't thought that the technique necessarily required speed, provided the spiral was done correctly. A differential between hot and cold was all that was needed, between the violent rage of Ryoga and his own perfect calm. So why then-. He chopped frantically at Ryoga's wrist and elbow, the void of calm that had enveloped him the past several days finally collapsing. Wind rose around them and rose further, stretching like a sinuous dragon, twirling higher and higher. "We need to run Ryoga! Put me down!" A flicker of uncertainty passed through Ryoga's eyes but another moment of uncertainty was all it took to condemn them to the fury of the whirlwind.

Ryoga had been fairly uncertain of his location even before the sudden takeoff but every rotation confused his cursed sense of direction still further. His hand continued to grip Ranma's shirt as tornado pushed them higher and higher. Convinced that the worst thing to do was wait and journey any higher into the air he began to use Ranma's struggling body as a sail to propel them both outwards. All of his attention focused on finding the direction outwards when suddenly something snapped. A ripple of nausea ran through him as the sun vanished, his ki contorting wildly. Finally releasing Ranma's red silk shirt his eyes widened at the fast approaching forest below. His body was strong but without reinforcement... He closed his eyes, blocking out the sound of the wind in his ears and the uncomfortable feeling in his stomach. At the last second his ki reformed into a paper thin shield across his skin that was even stronger than diamond. "Ah... Ranma. Where are we?"

A sucking gasp came from his right. "Ranma!" How? Ranma was nearly as indestructible as himself, how could a little fall have hurt him so? For all that he hated cats he had always been good at landing like one. A jagged stump pierced clear through his abdomen, blood trailing down the back of his legs before escaping his sight in the massive growth of ferns. "Ra..." he was tempted to jeer, to egg his rival to stop playing around like a weakling and pull himself together. Instead he stopped and opened his eyes wide. The previously apathetic martial artist now seemed to be doing everything he could just o draw breath. Ki flowed chaotically through his system, accomplishing nothing. There did however appear to be a general slow flow towards the wound, but rather than stitching tissue and mending bone it simply flared briefly before disappearing. Tricklets of blackness seemed to wind through the wound. Were they splinters or - no. It couldn't be. It almost looked as if they were growing bigger, devouring flesh and ki as they went. A hiss came from the blackness below Ranma. The light of the crescent moon above did nothing to light the shadows beneath the ferns.

'What's wrong with me? Move Ryoga, move. Just think what Akane would say if she saw me hesitating like this.' Batting the ferns away with his umbrella he squinted into the shadow. Whatever it was that lay there began to glare back, eyes brightening even as Ryoga's own eyes adjusted to the darkness. What he saw then was a thing of horror. A clawed hand glinted in the moonlight and without conscious thought he swept his umbrella into its path, blocking it solidly. With a flick of his wrist he opened the umbrella and swept it across the creatures neck, half separating its head. One more pass completed the deed and knocked Ryoga into a state of stunned silence. The stench of the creature enveloped him and it was all he could do not to vomit. Another soft gasp from Saotome refocused him and with gentle pressure he lifted his friend and rival off the tree-trunk and away from the kami-damned creature beneath him.

"W-water." The voice was devoid of Ranma's normal smugness and thinly veiled strength. Too dark to see clearly Ryoga clumsily opened his ki-sight once more. It had always been Ranma's trick, not his own. Still, it served him well enough to see that while the hungry rivulets of black across his friend's stomach were no longer growing, they weren't going away either. He considered his friends request. A stream lay a short distance away, but for him even a short distance could prove impassable. Making a decision he picked up Ranma once more, ignoring his feeble protests. With Ranma occasionally turning his head back towards the stream they made the trip without complications only to have Ryoga slip and plant them both within icy water.

"So, Ryoga..." said the now red-headed Saotome in a high-pitched voice, "why didn't you tell me you'd cured your curse!" Ranma hit him with enough force to snap small tree. Ryoga didn't feel a thing.

"Are you alright?" asked Ryoga, trying to keep his frustration in check.

"I dunno, probably. My ki's under control and healing me now, even if it's a bit weaker than usual. What just happened anyways? I felt like something was eating me from the inside out." "Ah..." mumbled Ryoga. "Whatever. Just tell me how you got rid of the curse!" "Umm..." "Damnit Ryoga, don't you know anything?"

"Well... I don't think we're in Nerima anymore."

End chapter 1

Don't forget to leave reviews or I'll be tempted to write some crazy Bleach fanfic with a large number of strawberry puns to make the kami cry.


	2. Chapter 2

For the record, this is a Ranma 1/2 and Claymore crossover, to whom the majority of the main characters and world used in this fanfiction belong.

Some bad news today... I've been fired from my job for vaguely hilarious reasons. On the plus side, more time to write for you folks! I accept soup can donations.

Chapter 2: A Long Walk

"Ryoga, this is all your fault! Why do you always have to torment me?"

"You got me cursed to turn into a pig and you dare claim you're the victim?" Ryoga shook his umbrella at her in irritation.

"Right, as if you can hold that over me after apparently finding a cure and not ever telling me about it!" One of her hands moved from the riverbed to her stomach. Her face was just a blur in the darkness to Ryoga's eyes.

"As I was trying to tell you before you hit me I don't know why I'm not changing right now. Maybe I just outgrew it, not that an immature punk like you would know anything about that."

"Ryoga, I..." What's this? Why is Ranma sounding so much like a girl right now? Don't tell me she's going to confess to me again. No! Ryoga Hibiki won't fall for such a thing again.

"Your disguises won't fool me this time, vile seductress Ranma Saotome! My pure and faithful love for Akane Tendo will never be lavished upon a crossdressing man!" Huh? Shouldn't Ranma be attacking him right now? "Ranma?" Ryoga leaned closer, careful to keep his shadow off of her. Water flowed along the length of her, just below the backs of her ears. He moved his hand to her cheek before slapping her lightly.

Her head snapped to the right and she awoke in a flash, water spraying from her mouth as she sat up. "Kyaa," cried Ranma softly before falling backwards slowly. "Damnit Ryoga, why'd you hit me?"

"I barely touched you! Stop being a weakling."

"Forgive me for not being some crazy demon like you, Hibiki. Besides, by ki flows are still funny, so get me out of this stupid river and patch me up."

"Alright, alright, just don't faint on me again." Ranma glared at him as he lifted her onto the bank and started rolling back the bottom of her shirt. He tilted her slightly, fingers probing the circular set of punctures from the tree trunk as Ranma balled her fists against the pain. "I'm not sure but I think only the spike that went all the way through your side went in very far." Ranma said nothing, teeth biting into her bottom lip. Ryoga began to wrap her torso with brightly colored bandanas and Ranma couldn't help but wonder if she'd end up looking like a pinata.

"That's enough, P-chan, you've wrapped all of it, so stop uncovering my chest. Ryoga froze, then dropped the hem of her shirt as if it were burning. "Stop blushing like a pervert and help me find a town. I need food and hot water, and maybe some pain-killers." She forced her head up slowly, holding her weight on her elbows. "What are you waiting for, help me up already." Ryoga stared at her for a moment, frowning. With a sigh he picked her up in a princess carry. "Hey! What do you think you're doing?" She punched at his jaw but barely moved his head from its straightforwards stare.

"Calm down Ranma, I'm not doing this because I enjoy it. If you try and walk you'll just rip your wounds open even worse than they already are." Ranma tried to come up with a snarky comeback and pop to her feet but her eyelids started to feel very heavy...

End Chapter 2. Alright, I know its short, but in my defense this is my first fanfiction. If it's any consolation the next one should be longer, I just wanted to get all the prologue stuff out of the way before I start in on the actual story. Should start getting a bit darker here as we go along, too.


	3. Chapter 3

For the record, this is a Ranma 1/2 and Claymore crossover, to whom the majority of the main characters and world used in this fanfiction belong.

Chapter 3: A Troublesome Village

Her first sight upon awaking was a plain gray room. A vase brimming with wild flowers stood atop the windowsill. Children played in the street outside, games of chase and tag. It took a few minutes to be sure but it seemed as if all of them were careful to never approach her window. She started to rise before grimacing from the pain. Her side and back felt sore but the sharp shooting pains from before had faded away. Wincing against the pain she forced herself to a seated position on the side of the bed. "I guess that really happened last night." There was no sign of any electronics. A candle sat towards the back of a small hand-carved dresser. The buildings outside from what she could see looked oddly medieval European. The voices of the children outside seemed subdued despite their energetic playing. More to the point, she couldn't understand a single word they said. Her head dropped into her hand as she tried to massage away her growing headache.

Ryoga burst threw the closed door, nearly forgetting to turn the doorknob. "Ranma! You're finally awake!"

"How'd you know that before even opening the door?" "you're the only ki source besides me for miles, I could probably find you with my eyes closed."

"Since when have you been able to find anything, eyes open or not?"

"Err, I'm not sure. My ki doesn't get in my eyes as much anymore though. It's sticky? No... compressed. That's the word."

"This isn't fair. We fly to a new world and you suddenly get cured of everything while I just get ripped open by a stupid tree."

"Hey, how about showing some gratitude. I carried you for six hours, not to mention killed that monster you fell on."

"Monster?" Ranma titled her head to the side. Another woman walked in behind Ryoga, silencing any further discussion. A slightly puzzles look adorned her face at the strange speech but with the perseverance common of a town's healer she slowly explained what she needed with a series of hand gestures. Reluctantly Ranma gave in. It was only as the woman started her ministrations that Ranma realized her Chinese shirt and pants were gone, replaced with a short cotton shift. As the healer pulled back Ranma's hip-length shirt she realized they'd even replaced her boxers with more feminine ware. After a brief moment of shock Ryoga turned away from the sight, blood dripping from his nostrils. Ranma frowned. "You do recall that I'm a man, right?"

"Err, right." His umbrella twirled slowly against the ground.

"This wouldn't be an issue if you'd gotten the hot water like I told you.

"There were more pressing issues at hand, Ranma." In his ire Ryoga started to turn back around, only to be met with a high-speed pillow bombardment.

"Out! Get out!" screamed Ranma, annoyed at the high pitch of her outburst. The healer had paused for a moment, startled. Watching the retreating Ryoga she appeared to understand the situation and removed the last wrapping on the white bandage. Ranma had to admit that even stained with blood it probably looked better than the multi-colored atrocity Ryoga had thrown together on the riverbank. As the woman pulled up the white padding her face changed from concern to outright terror. "What? What's wrong?" It's as if she'd seen maggots covering the wound or something. Ranma blanched at the thought and leaned over to get a proper view. "Eh?" The puncture wounds were largely healed over, though the skin around them was still discolored from bruises. "All the scraps I get in it's definitely a good thing I"m a quick healer, aye?" The woman ran screaming from the room shouting, "Yoma! Yoma!" Whatever that meant. "What's her problem? I didn't even change into a man or nothin'."

Ryoga entered the room as Ranma hurriedly pulled away the remnants of the bandages and gripped the front of the shift, having to hold it down, the back still stuck around her waist. "Ranma, you didn't use Soun's devil head technique to scare her off, did you?"

"Of course not, I'm not a brat like you. Besides, something weird's going on. Look outside, she's not the only one running." Older children ran as if the wind pursued them as mothers and older siblings gathered the little ones into houses or simply scattered in all directions away from them. "Did you destroy a house or something to put them on edge? Who knows, maybe all it took was a look at your fangs." Ranma bared her teeth at him in playful imitation.

"It's tough to convince people you're friendly when they don't understand a word you're saying." He backed away from the window and sat next to her on the bed. "I managed to pick up a few words in the day and a half your were out but most of the villagers seemed either suspicious or afraid."

"A day and a half, huh? A little slow but not bad considering my messed up ki flows. You suppose the frightened and backwards townspeople will give us some food? I'm starving."

"You might want to ask for some clothes first, that looks a bit short on you," deadpanned Ryoga.

"You're starting to bug me, P-chan."

"You sound like a little girl, Saotome. Be a man and put on that dress they left for you on the dresser."

'That's a dress?' thought Ranma. 'I thought it was a tablecloth.' Shapeless, dull green, and probably too thin to wear without the shift, it was simply put a fashion nightmare. "You're enjoying this far too much, you know," said Ranma as she slipped into the peasant dress. Cursing her short stature she ripped away the bottom length of her dress leaving her calves bare.

"Hey Ranma..."

"What!" she snapped.

"You might want to look outside." A growing crowd armed with various farming implements and the occasional rough-beaten sword.

"It seems we've overstayed our welcome." With a shared glance they came to agreement without words and leapt through the open window. The flower vase shattered on the hard packed dirt, flowers dancing around their feet in the light afternoon breeze. Ranma directed her eyes upwards, eyeing the distance to the roof. Pain pulsed along her left side from the stress of the previous jump. "Ryoga, give me a hand, will you? I don't feel like fighting my way out. They did help us out when we needed it, even if they're just as crazy as Shampoo." With an unexpected level of maturity he grabbed her by the waist and effortlessly tossed her atop the lightly slanted roof. Ryoga joined her a moment later, pushing the crowd's nervousness and fear to still greater heights. An older fellow - perhaps the town headsman - did his best to rally them. Recurring frequently during his speech was that same strange word, 'yoma'. Thankfully Ranma saw that the roofs were not spaced very far apart, even without boosts from her ki. A swift vault and she was outside their ring of iron and steel. "Well? What are you waiting for, let's get out of here."

By sunset the village was nothing but a small blot in the distance. Smoke wafted into the air between them as the modest campfire warded off the evening chill. In a curious silence they devoured their stolen bread and cheese in the dying light. Ryoga spoke first. "Do you think we should have just stolen food like that? We've both lived in the wild before, we could have gotten by without it if we had too."

"All's fair in love and war, and they declared war on us, attacking us like that. I'm still upset we didn't manage to grab my clothes on the way out." Ranma tore hungrily into the last loaf of bread.

"It didn't look as if they were exactly flourishing. A little town like that... they don't have much to spare for those who don't work hard for it."

"Hey, I saw you looking at that bread just obsessively as I was. Leaving fresh bread and cheese out on a windowsill? Come on, that's just asking for it."

Ryoga brushed the crumbs off his hands and laid down next to his umbrella. "You know, making little self-justifications like that is probably exactly how your father ended up selling his own son to half the girls in Asia.

"Hmph. It probably was only twenty. Still, I must admit he was one stupid panda. I suppoooose we can try doing it your way at the next town we find, but I warn you: It's up to you to learn the language. There's no way I'm spending time in school if I can help it."

"Not even going to learn enough to ward off your next batch of fiancées?

"Shut up, P-chan."

Thus ends chapter 3. As I promised, this chapter is longer than the last one. Still, alas, short, but at least it came out quick, right? Well anyways, class 2 hurricane coming through in Virginia so it might be a few days before I get a chance to write some more. Maybe I'll go back to pen and paper for awhile because I love you guys so much.


	4. Chapter 4

For the record, this is a Ranma 1/2 and Claymore crossover, to whom the majority of the main characters and world used in this fanfiction belong.

Chapter 4: The Final Prologue

Ranma's kata wound down from its almost frenetic pace. Her body moved slower and slower, meticulously following a routine only known by her in this world. "So, Ryoga, we've agreed that there's no way we're still on Earth, right?"

"I think a month of this place could convince anyone. Shame it's not a dream either, dreams aren't so dreadfully boring." Ryoga finished washing the dirt from his hands and turned to watch the completion of her kata.

"Well, I guess that means I can teach the Saotome School of Anything Goes without Happosai blasting the dojo to smithereens. I could find some students and start making some real money rather than being paid in rice. You could help too - as a punching bag." Ryoga growled. "Well with that crazy ki-barrier of yours it's not as if you couldn't manage it, at least if I didn't nearly break my hand every time I hit you."

"I didn't realize you were that weak, Ranma!" Ranma rolled her eyes. "We'll have to get you some gloves or something. I think I'll go crazy if I don't get a good fight in soon." He tossed the empty seed bag into the barn.

"Yeah, maybe tha twould work. I"m still hoping that I"ll fare a little better once I"m male again." Her dance-like martial arts kata ended abruptly, shoulders slumping as if carrying some impressive weight.

"What's wrong? Upset that you've had to spend so much time as a girl?"

"No, it's not that." She rested on the fence of the pig-pen, moving a boot away swiftly when one brown-haired fellow got too ambitious. "Don't get me wrong, it does get annoying, especially that time they tried to get me to sew. Still, it's not so bad here, even if it is a little boring. At least here I can actually relax from time to time." In a remarkable show of balance for anyone other than Ranma she swung her legs up onto a post beside her. Back resting along the fence her hands lay across her stomach, fingers slightly bent.

"Are you saying you don't want to go back to Nerima? What about your family?" Ryoga forcefully pushed back the image of a fat panda playing with an old tire and continued. "What about Akane? They must be worried sick about you. At least with me the whole 'lost' thing is already normally pretty much a given."

Ranma's eyes glistened before she shut them tight. 'Must just be the sun,' thought Ryoga. "No, I'm not saying I don't want to go back. It's just... can't we wait a little longer before we try something drastic? Who knows where we might end up if we try that trick again." "What happened that day Ranma?" He shook his head when she started to open he rmouth. "No, what I meant to ask is what happened before our fight? You weren't acting like your normal cocky bastard self." A yell came from the house, sparing Ranma from Ryoga's gaze. The yell contained one word at least that they were quite familiar with: It was the call for dinner. Conversation put aside for the moment they made their way towards the dinner table, enthusiasm only slightly blunted by the unavoidable and unfortunately necessary continued instruction in the language that would come with it.

Weeks passed before they took to the road again, this time a few supplies heavier. Ranma wore a tunic and a pair of hard-won pants, just large enough to be viable in her male form once she found an opportunity to change. A few small silver ingots jingled as the money pouch bounced gently off his hip. Ranma was swiftly growing annoyed with the sound. "Put that inside your shirt or something before some pickpockets nab our 2-months wages."

"Let 'em try, I could use the action." He grinned, his short fangs flashing white in the morning sun.

"Just remember, if you manage to lose it, I'll kill you." She swung a fallen branch at his head only to have it shatter against his invisible ki-barrier, not even moving his head. "Somehow or another." Her voice, though still feminine, was a far cry from the sweet high pitched thing he'd heard her use back in Nerima to con extra scoops of ice cream.

"Right," he drawled.

"They really should have paid us more. Not only did we work harder than them, we actually managed to act normal for 2 months." They were making good time as they talked, far better than in their first wandering journey. Now there was no need to stop and scavenge or to jump off the road to avoid other travelers. Ryoga moved at a slow, steady jog. Ranma moved her legs slightly faster, compensating for her smaller stride. "I don't suppose you're ready to turn to theft? Cause there's no way I'm going to try and bum enough food for the both of us."

"Your feminine charm not up to the task?" She really wanted to hit him. "Calm down, was just a joke, not a challenge. And it's still a no to the stealing by the way, though I definitely don't want to lift another pitchfork for the rest of my life."

Ranma gave a quick twirl through the air before resuming her run a few feet in front of Ryoga, this time running in reverse. "It wasn't sooo bad, maybe you're just upset because it's reminding you of the crazy pig-girl."

Ryoga threw a lazy roundhouse punch that Ranma dodged easily before slipping around to run beside him once more. Finally Ryoga said, "She's no Shampoo."

"Not to mention Kodachi. I get shivers just thinking about that psychopath."

"Enough talk about Nerima," said Ryoga. "We should practice speaking in their language a bit more before we arrive."

"I suppose... as always, it's not as if we have anything better to do."

End Chapter 4

Alright, so, burning swamps, Earthquake, a hurricane, a broken keyboard, accidently dropped 120 dollars out of my wallet somewhere, and am currently lacking AC. God I love Virginia. Anyways, decided I might as well post something now that I'm finally back up and running. Sorry it took so long for this one, next chapter should be out in 1-3 days, I already have decent bit of it written. Also have some preliminary sketching done for story arcs 2 and 3... but those won't come into play until at least like 30k words down the line. Anyways, forget I just said that. Must maintain the mystery.


	5. Chapter 5

For the record, this is a Ranma 1/2 and Claymore crossover, to whom the majority of the main characters and world used in this fanfiction belong.

Chapter 5: Lady of the Cloak

They reached the city a few hours later, thoroughly unimpressed. "Bit small for a city, but I suppose size is relative. Beats that first village we landed in." Ranma took the last loaf of bread from their pack, tearing off half for Ryoga.

"It'll do for a little rooftop sparring, no?" Ryoga crunched into the hard-crusted bread.

"Finally I can be male again!" She restrained a giggle.

"Right..." Ryoga finished off the bread with speed worthy of Genma. "Now stop acting weird or they won't let us in." A smallish boy of twelve or so turned his head around to look at them. The cloaked girl beside him in the line kept her gaze fixed forward, one hand resting on the small statue the two carried between them. "What are you looking at, baka?" The boy quickly averted his gaze, his shoulders tensing. Ryoga switched to Japanese, "You know Ranma, if you're going like 'be a male again' it might be a good idea to use Japanese. Just a little advice from a guy who hasn't been chased out of half the villages in China by an angry mob."

"Baka panda father," whispered Ranma under her breath.

Ryoga had proven surprisingly quick at picking up the language, falling behind Ranma only in the knowledge of petty insults. The former lost boy's various misadventures across the world had prepared him well for the challenge. Reaching the head of the line Ryoga stepped slightly in front of Ranma. While the redhead could listen along well enough her accent left something to be desired.

"State your business," said the armored guard.

Ryoga recalled the meager cover story they'd come up with during the long jog. "We're here to buy some supplies for the farm: needles and things."

"I see. Where did you come by that accent of yours? We get pilgrims to the cathedral from all over but yours doesn't sound familiar."

Ryoga thought quickly, a sheen of sweat breaking out on his forehead. 'Ranma's better at this sort of thing.' "Our parents were from the North."

The guard's hand came to rest dangerously close to the hilt of his sword. Ryoga knew he could take him but didn't fancy spending the night outside with no tent or food and a bunch of angry guards after him. "You're related?" The man's brow furrowed, searching for some resemblance between the two young adults.

"Err, cousins actually," said Ryoga, recovering quickly. "When her parents died she came to stay with mine. They were fur trappers you see, but one day the fur caught her father instead. Her mother went a bit mad after that, wandered off into the wilderness carrying the family sword and was never heard from again."

"I see." The guard was quite perplexed at this point. The short and busty young redhead looked as if she were trying to drill a hole into the back of the fanged bandanna wearing boy's head with her eyes. 'Surely yoma wouldn't be so... strange.' He sighed. Business was bad enough already. "Welcome tot he Holy City of Rabona, do you require any directions?"

Ryoga winced slightly at the word 'directions'. "The cheapest inn in town, if you could Sir."

It only took a few minutes to find the inn. Unlike many of the newcomers to the city both of them were experienced travelers. Save for the cathedral in the distance there was little capable of drawing their eyes enough to slow them in their march. Ranma practically skipped in through the door in front of Ryoga, eager to find a room and remove her sweat-slicked boots. The first thing she was going to buy in the marketplace was a decent pair of sandals. Ryoga looked past Ranma and saw a familiar shocked face. "Hey, Pipsqueak, fancy seeing you again. Don't tell me you're following Ranma-chan here."

The boy apparently did not enjoy being called a pipsqueak, his hands balling into fists as his face turned red. "You're the ones following us you big dummy." Ryoga chuckled, shutting the door behind him.

"Calm down kid, he's just messin' with ya," said Ranma. "Let me see that fist." In the time it took the boy to decipher her accented speech she'd already snatched his hand and turned it from side to side.

"H-hey, what are you doing?" He tried to pull away from the strange girl but she was surprisingly strong.

"You'd snap three different fingers if you punched full force like this, even if you weren't punching a blockhead like him. Do it like this." She slowly formed a fist before performing a straight thrust as the boy watched eagerly.

"Wow, are you a fighter? The only woman fighter I've met-." A hand stretched out from the cloak to rest on the boy's shoulder, silencing the boy surprisingly quickly. The boy seemed taken with nervousness and guilt, as if he expected to be hit with a mallet any moment. Ranma searched for some resemblance between the girl and Akane as she finally lowered her hood.

"Please excuse my brother Raki for his exuberance. My name is Clare, yoroshiku."

'Exuberence?' Maybe Ryoga knew what it meant. "Ranma Saotome, of the Saotome School of Anything Goes Martial Arts. That simpleton staring at you right now is Ryoga Hibiki."

Ryoga took deep breaths, fighting the impulse to fall in love at first sight. She wasn't even his type - wait, it looked as if she was trying to hide it but from her posture she seemed remarkably well balanced. Could it be that in this land of medieval farmers they'd finally found a true martial artist, and a girl at that? To be sure he opened his eyes to the world of life energies, ki flows overlaying the physical beings before him. "Excuse me, miss, but are you currently sick? Your ki flows seem weak and distorted, especially for someone your age." Briefly Ryoga could have sworn he saw a glimpse of someone else entirely in the face of this demure lady before him. "Maybe you were injured recently? Ranma here knows some pressure point theory, perhaps she could help you?"

"No, no, I assure you that I'm quite alright." Ryoga briefly tore his gaze from her and saw that the little squirt beside her was about ready to blow his top. 'Overprotective little bugger, isn't he.' The cloaked girl's hands, Clare was her name he remembered, were once more hidden beneath her cloak. He wondered if they were calloused from punching or not. "Forgive us, but we must be leaving, we plan to visit the cathedral."

"Oh yes, of course," said Ryoga. Ranma rolled her eyes as watched the once again love-struck Ryoga fumble through a reply. Meanwhile she attended to more important things, like unlacing her boots. "Perhaps we'll see you there, this is our first time visiting the city and that seems to be the main attraction."

Clare paused on her way out the door. "Perhaps we shall." Both of the former Nerimites missed the threatening undertone to that simple response.

End chapter 5.

Claymore at last. Finally we'll start seeing some of the major players from the Claymore universe. I should probably give some to the Ranma universe if you don't already know. And yes, I know I should have done this in chapter one. 1: Ranma turns into a girl with cold water, back to a boy with warm water. His father does the same thing but turns into a panda instead. Ryoga's curse was to turn into a pig, though via ki-barrier appears to be resistant to it in this universe. Claymore universe: Evil yoma thingies. Can disguise selves as humans, and unless accidently exposed to a fairly large force of powerful and well trained humans when they reveal themselves to eat they can only be killed by Claymores. Claymores are the name common humans half for the half-human half-yoma entities created by the shadowy organization simply called the Organization. Very unimaginative folks, ne? Claymores start as humans by the way, not as yoma. Drawing on yoma power called yoki they can gain amazing abilities but the yoki also distorts their bodies and eventually their minds. Past a certain breaking point that is different for every claymore they will 'awaken' becoming awakened beings, lacking human conscience and gaining powers far beyond that of normal yoma. Normal humans in general do not know this, and propaganda by the Organization labels them as Voracious Eaters, yoma who have simply lived a long period of time and have grown hungrier and stronger. Final bit of info... Claymores can hide their yoki and mutation of their silver eyes and hair via the use of a certain pill. The effects last for half a day and make the user indistinguishable from other humans by those sensitive to yoki unless they are very near each other. The price is the loss of a very large portion of their powers. Hmm. One final note on language: Why am I using words like yoma and yoroshiku if I'm claiming that they're not speaking Japanese? It's cause I'm too lazy to come up with a translation. Simple as that. Have a nice day.


	6. Chapter 6

For the record, this is a Ranma 1/2 and Claymore crossover, to whom the majority of the main characters and worlds used in this fanfiction belong.

Chapter Six: Aren't you a Man?

When the innkeeper finally spoke Ranma found herself struggling not to stare. How a man with a hair style that outrageous had managed to be unobtrusive enough to not draw her gaze previously she could not understand. "Welcome folks, I take it you're looking for a room?" We offer the cheapest rooms in town, only 200 bera a night (1).

Ranma was busy comparing the man with various roosters she'd seen in her life so Ryoga once again took charge, fancying himself the more responsible of the two. "Yes sir, two beds if you could."

"That shouldn't be a problem. Business has been slow since, well, I'm sure you've already heard."

"No, what happened?" said Ryoga.

"Happening, said to say." The man's voice was low and powerful, thrumming from the shadows beside the bar to echo throughout the mid-size establishment. The man was armored much like the man at the gate, though unlike the previous man his platemail seemed less like armor and more like a second skin. he rose and shook Ryoga's hand, wincing slightly at the strength of the boy's grip. "The name''s Garth." Ranma briefly cursed her poor situational awareness. Not one person she'd overlooked but two? It seemed she'd been relying on her lost ki-awareness more than she'd thought. The man gave a short bow to Ranma before gesturing for both of them to take a seat.

The man was seriously starting to bug her. Ryoga was oblivious to Ranma's growing ire and smoothly took a seat on one of the barstools. "Why don't you just spit it out already," said Ranma, hands on hips. "I've got places to be." The teakettle let out a slow whistle, taunting her as the innkeeper took it off the range.

"Now now Miss Ranma," Ranma twitched, "I know you've traveled a long way but pleast be patient. It wouldn't be safe for you to go running about this late in the day. Besides, the market will be closing soon, you'll be better off waiting until morning.

Ranma's foot quivered as she considered kicking Garth's patronizing smile off his face. "I'm a guy, dammit." Bare feet slapping the floor in stark contrast to her normal weightless steps she grabbed the teapot and held it aloft.

"Ranma wait!" said Ryoga. "We haven't gotten any food yet. Think of the chicken wings Ranma, the chicken wings!" Ranma scoweled and poured the water over her head, gasping at the heat. Her hair darkened from red to black, shirt tightening over her, now his shoulders. Reaching his male height Ranma was displeased to note that Garth was still a head taller than him as he stood up in alarm. The innkeeper started to whisper the word 'yoma' only to meet unconsciousness at the end of Ranma's fist. Meanwhile Ryoga had taken advantage of Garth's moment of surprise and slipped him into a loose necklock, one hand covering his mouth. "Now what did you go and do that for, Ranma?" Now they're going to think we're yoma again."

Ranma shrugged. "The teakettle laughed at me." Ryoga nearly face-faulted. Garth exploited this moment of weakness to try and pull free, only to realize that even a distracted Ryoga is by no means weak. "Hold your horses, buddy," said Ranma over the sound of Ryoga's laughter. "Now listen here. We. Are. Not. Yoma. Understand?"

"Ranma, I don't think he agrees." A pitcher of water overturned by the man's struggles soaked the already wet Ranma, changing her back into a girl.

Growling she turned her back to them. Removing her shirt she wrung it out forcefully while Ryoga tied and gagged the man with bandannas. Excess water removed she was able to trigger her curse again with what water remained in the tea kettle. Back to normal Ranma slipped into the Soul of Ice technique to calm itself. It felt... different, but it did seem to have some effect. "Garth, you seem like a reasonable fellow, so perhaps we can still work this out." Garth wasn't looking very reasonable at the moment. "Or maybe not." Rather than try and stuff his now slightly larger feet back into his boots he tied them together and swung them over one shoulder. "Come along now P-chan."

Ryoga glanced back and forth between the two tied up men on the ground and Ranma. "We're just going to leave them here?"

"I'm sure someone will be along soon. We should get our shopping done before they raise the alarm."

"Aren't you always going on about how a martial artist's duty is to protect the weak?"

Ranma winced. "Does protecting them from their own stupidity count? Don't answer that." They each spared one last glance tgowards the struggling Garth before stepping into the dusty street. Ranma took a deep breath, taking in the scents of baking bread, spices, leather, and unfortunately a hint of sewage. He felt stronger than he had since arriving in this world. The few people in the street weren't looking their direction. Ranma backflipped onto the roof, tapping Ryoga on the head as he went. Ryoga appeared beside him brandishing his umbrella and a frown. A moment later his mask of anger fell away and Ryoga leapt enthusiastically into some light sparring. Ranma started in with the same open-hand deflections he'd been forced to use on Ryoga for the past two months. He sped up, Ryoga rising to match him as deflections turned to strikes. Ranma led Ryoga across the rooftops towards the marketplace, heedless of the height at which they traveled. The tempo increased once more as Ranma reveled in his rediscovered superhuman strength and speed. No longer did his hands sting from the strikes, though his punches still failed to even phase the pig boy. Dodging Ryoga's haymaker Ranma slipped back down to the level of the street. Ryoga followed, holstering his umbrella as he joined his rival in a small alley behind the square. "Ryoga... the first thing we're buying is some soap. You're practically knocking me out as it is and we're still outside." Ryoga grumbled a bit before acquiescing. Following their noses they soon found a covered booth filled with scented soap, candles, shampoo, and bath scents.

"Welcome sirs, how may I help you today?" The man was short, hair speckled with gray. "Ca-ca-Claymore! But, aren't you a man?"

Ranma looked down briefly before responding. "Yes?" Strange fellow. Better hair than the rooster-man though.

"Sorry sir, isn't my place to question you. Anything you want is yours, just tell me what you need."

A fear bars of soap richer they walked onwards amongst the stands. "You get the feeling there's a lot about this world we still don't know?" said Ranma. Ryoga didn't reply, seemingly lost in thought. "This whole yoma business... every time we tried to get a clear answer our hosts would just clam up. And now this bit about being a claymore? Isn't that just a type of sword or something?" A mirror suddenly caught his eye. "Eh! What happened to my eyes!" He grabbed Ryoga's shoulder. "Ryoga, why didn't you tell me my eyes were silver?"

"What the hell, Ranma. When did you start wearing colored contacts?"

"Baka." Ranma punched him on the cheek. "Where in this world would I find contacts to begin with?" Ranma turned back to the mirror, trying to get a better look in the rising shadows. "Does my hair look lighter than usual?"

"Stop playing around like a girl, I'm getting bored." Ranma fumed but followed Ryoga to a nearby tavern, eager for food.

End Chapter Six.

Sorry for the wait on this one, was nearly a week. The reason I've slowed down a bit is because I'm decided to start on another story in conjunction with this one. It's going to be a Ranma/Harry Potter crossover from the looks of things. Should be out some time in the next few days. Little heads up for die-hard Claymore fans, from here on out I'm probably going to be playing with the timeline and changing around a few things. I thought about just following along the Claymore plot with Ranma and Ryoga along for the ride but... that would be soooo boring, right? Let's see where this crazy action goes.


	7. Chapter 7

For the record, this is a Ranma 1/2 and Claymore crossover, to whom the majority of the main characters and worlds used in this fanfiction belong.

Chapter Seven: Reflections

The tavern was a foul thing, the floor simple hard-packed dirt and not a local to be seen. The hour was still early, the bar empty, the bartender lazily polishing glasses with a rag that had seen better days. A few dusty travelers sat in a booth near the window, speaking so swiftly and with such an accent that Ranma decided that whatever it was they were talking about probably wasn't worth the effort to decipher it. Taking a seat in the corner Ranma ran a hand through his hair, leaning back against the back of the chair. A dowdy waitress came by soon after, too apathetic to notice the hue of Ranma's half-closed eyes. "Two soups, two specials, and two meat pies," said Ryoga.

The meals were edible, if a bit over-seasoned. Still, Ranma couldn't manage to bring up much of an appetite. Ranma played with with his chopsticks for a while before finally pushing his barely-touched food over to Ryoga. "What gives? I've never seen you turn down food before."

Ranma twisted his pigtail around to examine it before answering. "Silver... It's turning silver."

Ryoga downed the last of his bowl of soup before answering. "Just because you're going gray is no reason to let the world get you down!" Ryoga gave him a well-intended clap of reassurance on the shoulder. Unfortunately it happened to be strong enough to knock him flying into another table. Adding to this misfortune, the table had recently been occupied by a number of rough looking men with rather full drinks. The drenched redhead now in their midst was not quite beautiful enough to assuage their anger over this incident.

"Damn it Ryoga!" Ryoga examined the posture and muscle-tone of the four men and decided that there was more pressing matters at hand – like eating Ranma's meat pie. A few anguished shouts later Ranma reappeared at the table just long enough to flip the messy remains of the meat pie in his face before walking out the door. Dropping three fifty bera ingots on the table as payment for their meal Ryoga walked out after her, mildly pleased with how things had turned out. Ambling between the booths he soon spotted Ranma's bedraggled red mop of hair through the crowd. A pair of sandals met her outstretched hand as she laid her boots on the counter. Slipping into the sandals she stood up only to come face to face with Ryoga. Glaring at his slightly sticky face she eventually relented. 'Jeeze,' thought Ryoga, 'it's not like I hit him that hard.' Ranma turned and went to make one one more purchase. A traveling tinker gave them a small bronze pot, along with a water skin, flint, a skinning knife, and a couple pounds of dried something-or-other. Ranma deftly snatched Ryoga's coinpurse from his side in order to pay the man before handing back the significantly lighter pouch.

Things were going surprisingly smoothly by Nerima standards. It was only natural that trouble would arise just Ranma caught sight of a full teapot. "You there, halt!" A trio of burly steel-clad men stalked towards them. Their pikes swept from the sky to level towards them, civilians scattering away from their march. Ranma hesitated for a split-second for leaping into a forward roll beneath the pikes. One caught her back, its well-polished blade slicing through her tunic to draw a line of blood across her skin. The burning cut more annoying than painful didn't even slow her down as she tossed the hot water on herself. The sudden transformation was met with shouts of terror and surprise by those few bystanders that had not already been fleeing the area. The burn on his face from the water swiftly faded, his ki rising, sickly-sweet as it filled his limbs with power. His foot swung out, arcing above his head to fly at the nearest guard. His muscles trembled as he stopped the kick an inch from the man's head, hungering to release his frustration. 'Why is this so difficult? Who did I anger, to make my life like this?' There was no fight to be had here, no threat even. The force from his very first kick would have been enough to snap man's neck. No, all that existed here was hatred and fear. He spun, a kick snapping into the ground with enough force to crack stone, launching him to a nearby roof. Not even checking to see if Ryoga followed him he fled the scene.

"Why, why must it always end like this?" It seemed not even a new universe could free him from the suspicion, the mistrust that plagued him from all sides. His last day in Nerima had left him wondering whether or not it was better to simply die. Akane had attempted to poison him again with her terrible cooking. His mother had been visiting as well, leaving him no easy escape from the culinary disaster. Hesitant to try the foul thing Akane had immediately started shouting at him. This was nothing new, certainly nothing he hadn't put up with for months, but what shocked him was her eyes. There was no playfulness there, no doubt, just a shockingly hot sincerity that shouted to him louder than words that she truly believed every insult she threw at him. Pervert, idiot, and so many more that he'd always hoped were said in fun. Akane's ki-mallet sprang into existence and he found that his muscles moved without conscious thought, launching the omelet directly into Akane's open mouth. A moment later the green-faced Akane ran towards the bathroom as if demons were at her heels.

"That's not a very nice way to treat your fiancee," his mother had said, fiddling with the cloth wrapping her katana.

"Improper, was it?" He dunked his head beneath the sink, black hair shifting to red as he shrank. "I guess I'll have to spend a week as a girl to punish myself for this misbehavior."

"Now son, that doesn't seem very manly." Her hand twitched, resting on the handle of the blade as it lay across her lap.

Everyone pressing at him, pushing him to be something, something that in the eyes of the world it seemed he could never be. He could never seem to fulfill their expectations and yet they would never let him be free. What right had they to judge him so? "Manly? I could have sworn I was a girl. I would think it would be unseemly for a girl to act so. Didn't you say as such to Ranko?"

"Ranma!" her voice, condescending and judgmental, did nothing to cool his anger.

Ranma took a breath, her lungs expanding as if this was the first time they'd ever had a chance to do so. Her body felt light as a feather, her depression boiling away as she prepared to free herself from the chains that had bound her to this place for so long. "I'm not marrying Akane, Nodoka. In fact, I don't believe I'll be marrying anyone for a long, long time." Ranma pressed her advantage, wanting to speak her bit before Nodoka recovered from the shock. "I know this bit will make your day, I also plan to stay a girl until every last fiancee finally agrees to void their claim. If you don't like that, then by all means, strike me down." Her voice had risen to nearly a scream as she ended her speech. Ranma stood still, feet spread slightly apart, hands balled into fists at her sides as she waited for her mother to make her decision. With an eery silence her mother approached her, and without any further notice promptly stabbed towards her stomach, her face expressionless all the while.

"You sick, twisted witch!" shouted Ranma, bleeding hands trapping the blade, preventing it from going any more than an inch beneath her skin. "You'd actually do it? I had always hoped it was just a bluff... but now I understand the truth." Ki flooded out of her, dark and heavy, slowly warping the Saotome family sword. Nodoka fell backwards as the sword shattered, fragments slicing her cheeks and hands. "Take heart, mother, your son is a child no longer."

Ranma shook his head, casting aside the memory as a light drizzle began, diluting his bitter tears. Ranma shifted forms in mid air, the rain finally reaching the threshold point. Ranma's now softer feet struck the fired-clay roof, shocking her to the bone now that she was no longer reinforced with ki. She collapsed, turning over to her back as the stars began to make their appearance in the darkening night sky. "Somewhere, there has to be a place for me."

End Chapter 7

I changed the narrative style a bit in this chapter, I don't know if you noticed. It's a touch fluffier, and while I don't like it quite as much, it is significantly easier to write and is far more adaptable. I may switch back to the original style, or I may just save it for the Ranma/Harry Potter crossover. Update on that one by this Sunday by the way. Probably. Also what's up with hating asterisks as scene breaks?


	8. Chapter 8

For the record, this is a Ranma 1/2 and Claymore (soon to be Bleach) crossover, to whom the majority of the main characters and worlds used in this fanfiction belong.

Chapter 8: Cathedral

Birds twittered, footsteps began their chaotic pitter-patter on the streets below. Shutters swung open, letting in the warm light of the summer sun. Ranma slowly raised herself from the crook of the roof, stretching to ease her stiffness. Growling stomach aside she did her best to smile at the rising sun. "At least I haven't seen any cats in this universe." Crouching she made her way to the edge of the roof, swinging herself down into an empty alley. "So now what?" Ryoga still had all their money, and she really didn't feel like talking to him at the moment. Without her ki it would be difficult to get away with stealing very much, and with the guards after her a job was probably out of the question.

As if drawn by gravity she turned to face the cathedral. "It's worth a shot." That movie with the funny-looking fellow and Notre Dame had mentioned something about free food. Untying her hair she combed through it a couple times with her fingers, letting it fall forward around her eyes. Keeping her head down she made her way through the awakening town as quickly as she could without appearing hurried. Her hair color was still a dead giveaway but with any luck Ryoga was off causing a ruckus somewhere keeping all the competent guardsmen busy.

The cathedral towered above her, powerful and ancient. She'd seen larger building in the past, to be sure, but a structure built of stone like this somehow seemed more powerful than the steel and glass skyscrapers of her own world. Her sandals tapped the stone as she made her way in past inquiring eyes of guards and church-goers. Her resolve nearly faltered but none made any move to her. A comment caught her ear about her disheveled appearance, allowing her to relax slightly. Hygiene had never been a high concern of hers, and if that was the only reason they stared then she might yet pull this off. A short line of people stood in front of a priest sporting a curiously pointed beard. Ignoring the ache in her back and stomach she patiently waited until he addressed her. "How may I help you, child?"

In a show of pain and fear that was not entirely feigned she made her plea. "I was separated from my cousin outside the city and I hoped you could shelter me for the night. I haven't eaten since I lost sight of him in the woods." Her stomach growled as if on cue but it did no good. She could see it in his eyes as his face stiffened, brushing his face into a mask of helpless sorrow. She was no stranger to rejection. Kindhearted folks would in the face of starving beggars so very often adopt that very same mask. Then they would go back to their warm homes and thing no more of the ones left behind. 'I can't," said their words, 'I won't,' screamed their eyes.

"I'm sorry, child," he said, wringing his hands. "We can't accept visitors into the inner church at this time. I'm sure-"

She turned away. She already knew what his next words would be. He'd send her off somewhere else, only to be turned away in turn, or promised that another day would be better. 'Am I so terrible that I can find no home in either world?' What matter it that Akane loves me if she sees me as no more than a dog to be brought to heel? Ukyo's friendship was tarnished by her blinding obsession, Shampoo thought him a prize, Genma a meal ticket, his mother had gone so far as to try to kill him. And those at school? Snakes, every one of them. Just like Nabiki, if they could not wound with fists they would do so with words. 'I've tried to steady myself, to find that maturity they all tout so highly. So why is it, then, that they show not the barest hint of human kindness towards me?" A spark of rage flared into an inferno as ki flooded into her. Impossibly sweet it threatened to carry away her mind, the subtle filth that corrupted it utterly ignored as she felt herself truly come alive. Hair flickered between red and silver as her eyes flared open.

"CLAYMORE!" came the inhuman screech. Guardsmen turned from Ranma to face this new threat, fighting the stiffness in their limbs.

"What is that thing?" The clawed humanoid beast came through the hall like a cannonball, scattering and disemboweling those too slow or too foolish to avoid its unstoppable charge. "This is a youma?" Ranma's legs trembled for just a moment as the dark power of the demon washed over her. "Stop..." it came out as a whisper. Her body felt weaker than ever, the energy fled as quickly as it appeared. "Please, stop." Blood splattered her face as another guard was slaughtered, four nubs of the demon's body lengthening in the blink of an eye to spear through the man's torso. Bones brittle as if fever-stricken she closed her eyes and waited for the end as a fifth living spear shot towards her.

Silence. Blood drenched her, hotter than any human's should be. His heartbeat pounded in his ears as the power filled him once more. Silver locks danced around his head, freed from the leather tie as the corrupted ki manifested visibly around him. "You?" The one who saved him was the girl from the inn? He shot forward, stopping nearly instantaneously in front of the youma. "Tell me," he said, voice deepening to a growl as his face lengthened into a snout, eyes switching to gold. "Tell me why it is, that I can't have a moments peace?" He grabbed the demon's arms and snapped it, avoiding the youma's counter and utterly ignoring its wailing screech. "Is it coincidence?" he asked, snapping its other arm. "Are you just acting on your own, or is someone pulling your strings?" Ranma shattered the youma's teeth with a straight fist when it lunged forwards to bite him. "Either way, I won't forgive you." Ranma poured his ki into his arms, firing it in split-second intervals through his muscles in the long practiced technique of the Chestnut Fist. What occurred was something very different. His arms disassembled into black ribbons, flying in tandem with every flare of corrupted ki to tear through the youma's iron-hard skin as if it was no more than a crust of bread.

"Ranma!" Ryoga burst into the abbey, stone cracking beneath his feet as he came to a sudden halt. "Ranma, what's happened to you?" Ranma's face had lengthened into a snout, mouth gaping wide, overflowing with teeth and saliva. His eyes met with Ryoga's but all Ryoga could find in them was hunger. Ranma, or what had been Ranma raced to attack him, ribbon-wire arms hitting him from all directions. His ki-reinforced skin barely repelled the attack, but his water-flask was shredded, water flying outwards to speckle Ranma's nightmare form. In an instant it was over, girl-Ranma collapsing to the ground, tips of her hair flickering between red and silver.

"What are you?" called a voice from behind them, tinged with fear but her curiosity was paramount. Ranma tilted her head to peer past Ryoga's legs. It was the girl from the inn, Clare, but the color had sapped out of her. Pale blond hair and silver eyes stared back at her. A pair of crutches held her weight, blood-soaked bandages wrapped her chest.

"I-" her voice cut off as a scream tore from her throat, power pulsing out from her. Ryoga struggled to not be pushed back as her features began to painfully mutate once more.

"She's awakening!" cried Clare. "Quickly, you must kill her before she turns."

"Kill her? What? Why!" shouted Ryoga, shielding his eyes from the tempest of yoki before him.

"If you do not she will become a monster that lives only to devour human flesh." Clare hoped as she spoke that Ryoga was not a youma himself.

"I... no, it can't be true. Ranma, say something!"

Ranma felt another wave of power building in her as she collapsed once more to the ground. The hunger and rage were building in her once again. Once this last wave came, she knew she would be no more. Her body, now half composed of thin black ribbons, now continually fought her failing mind for control. "Do it."

"What?"

"Better to die now than live as a monster. Kill me." A new wave of pain and power wracked her body. "KILL ME!" Ryoga hesitated a moment too long, power-forged flesh cutting him open in a moment as Ranma's body took on a mind of its own. His ki kept them from killing him but his eyes would never see again. Blood soaked her, and she begged for release as she saw Clare lift a guard's sword and come limping towards her. But it was not to be, her power supercharging Ryoga's blood to the breaking point. She vanished in a flash of yellow-green light.

Desert stretched around her as she impacted in a new world. Sand gave way beneath her, leaving her in free-fall yet again as she dropped into a massive cavern filled with massive trees of crystallized bone. Dust flew out to all sides as she landed. She felt her consciousness wavering as strange, monstrous giants gathered around her prone form. Her last bubble of sanity, last refuge against the growing hunger began to crack. "Cat, I don't know if you can hear me, but please, save me."

End Chapter 8:

Alright. For those less familiar with the series, that final line refers to Ranma's split personality, a pseudo-cat self formed by exposure to the brutal neko-ken training.

Anyways, you've probably noticed that I ended the claymore arc about 20,000 words sooner than I intended. This was my first fanfic, and is also, it seems, my first fanfic to go above 10,000 words. However, writing this chapter was downright painful, and took about four months. Not to mention that the final half of the chapter was fairly crappy. Hopefully pushing on to the Bleach arc I can breathe some new live into this particular series.

Yes, that's right. A Bleach crossover. Next chapter will involve either Grimmjow (12% chance), Ashida (40% chance), Ichigo (45% chance) or other (3+/- 30% chance).

Btw, I can now officially say the catchphrase with respect to # of views on this story. "It's over nine thousand!"


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